New Contract Rules Unveiled After Covid Cronyism Claims

Boris Johnson’s government has unveiled a series of changes to public procurement rules in a bid to avoid a repeat of the controversy over a “VIP lane” set up for Covid contracts.

- Adam Forrest

Ministers have faced accusations of cronyism after it emerged that some firms were given access to a high priority lane for lucrative personal protective equipment (PPE) deals during the pandemic.

The government is now planning to tighten the rules so emergency public contracts can no longer be given without competition.

Suppliers will be blocked from winning government contracts if they have a record of poor delivery, fraud or corruption, according to a Cabinet Office document published yesterday.

It would also be possible to ban suppliers which have undertaken unethical practices – such as a lax approach to safety, or where there are national security or environmental concerns.

Procurement data will be published in a “standard, open format”, the government claimed, as Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay promised that the changes were aimed at “increasing transparency”.